Earnings Release

Darden Restaurants, Inc.'s latest earnings press release, filed Sep 24, 2026, scored line by line for tone, guidance and what changed since the prior release.

Guidance reaffirmed25 lines scoredFiled Sep 24, 2026SEC 8-K · Exhibit 99

Release Tone

UPBEAT

GuidanceGuidance reaffirmedWhat this release does to the company's outlook

Tone change▲ 3.3pointsvs the prior release (Jun 25, 2026)

Hedging language0.34per 100 words▼ 0.56 vs prior

New this quarter18of 25 linesWording that was not in the prior release

The lines that matter most

Ranked by how material, how strongly worded and how new each sentence is.

1
Blended same-restaurant sales 1 for the quarter increased 3.1% on a fiscal calendar basis and increased 3.2% on a comparable calendar basis.
New this quarter
2
Reported diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations were $2.05, an increase of 4.1% from last year's adjusted diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations 2
3
Total sales increased 5.1% to $3.2 billion.
4
As of the end of the fiscal first quarter, the Company had $1.3 billion remaining under the current $1.5 billion repurchase authorization.
New this quarter
5
Fine Dining1.6%1.0%
New this quarter
6
The Company reaffirmed all aspects of its full year financial outlook for fiscal 2027, culminating in diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations of $11.10 to $11.35.
Guidance reaffirmed
7
LongHorn Steakhouse6.2%6.8%
New this quarter
8
Consolidated Darden 13.1%3.2%
New this quarter

Release by release

Tone and guidance for the last 2 earnings releases.

Sep 24, 2026Guidance reaffirmed62.4+3.3
Jun 25, 2026New outlook issued59.0

Bar length: tone on a 50–70 scale.

The release, annotated

1Highlight rankPositive toneNeutralNegative toneDimmed text: low materiality

Results

Darden Restaurants Reports Fiscal 2027 First Quarter Results;

Outlook

and Reaffirms Fiscal 2027 OutlookGuidance reaffirmed

Results

First Quarter 2027 Financial HighlightsGuidance reaffirmed

3Total sales increased 5.1% to $3.2 billion.

1Blended same-restaurant sales 1 for the quarter increased 3.1% on a fiscal calendar basis and increased 3.2% on a comparable calendar basis.

8Consolidated Darden 13.1%3.2%

Olive Garden1.1%1.0%

7LongHorn Steakhouse6.2%6.8%

5Fine Dining1.6%1.0%

Other Business 13.8%4.5%

2Reported diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations were $2.05, an increase of 4.1% from last year's adjusted diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations 2

Capital return

The Company repurchased $222.3 million 3 of its outstanding common stock

Management commentary

“The first quarter was a solid start to our fiscal year with each of our segments delivering positive same-restaurant sales,” said Darden President & CEO Rick Cardenas.

“The performance across our portfolio reinforces the importance of having distinctive brands, each with a clear strategy, supported by Darden’s scale and other competitive advantages.

Looking ahead, our focus remains the same: operate our restaurants at a high level, strengthen guest loyalty, invest in our people and brands, and deploy capital in ways that support long-term shareholder value.”

Results

Segment Performance

Capital return

3 Inclusive of 1% excise tax incurred on net repurchases, resulting from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

Dividend Declared

Darden’s Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.62 per share on the Company’s outstanding common stock.

The dividend is payable on November 2, 2026 to shareholders of record at the close of business on October 9, 2026.

Share Repurchase Program

During the quarter, the Company repurchased approximately 1.1 million shares of its common stock for a total of $222.3 million 3 .

4As of the end of the fiscal first quarter, the Company had $1.3 billion remaining under the current $1.5 billion repurchase authorization.

Outlook

Fiscal 2027 Financial Outlook

6The Company reaffirmed all aspects of its full year financial outlook for fiscal 2027, culminating in diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations of $11.10 to $11.35.Guidance reaffirmed

40 boilerplate lines (safe-harbor disclaimer, contacts, call details) are set aside.

How this is scored

Source: the press release Darden Restaurants, Inc. filed with the SEC as Exhibit 99 to Form 8-K (Item 2.02). Financial statements and boilerplate are set aside.
Tone: a financial sentiment model scores each sentence 0 to 100; the release score weights sentences by how material they are.
Materiality and guidance: a classifier judges whether each sentence is specific information, and what the release does to the outlook.
New this quarter: wording that does not appear in the prior release.
Hedging: uncertainty words (may, could, approximately, headwinds and similar) per 100 words of narrative.

These scores describe the release's language. They are not a forecast or a recommendation. Read the original filing

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